MAKE AMERICA MEXICAN AGAIN?

NEWS FROM KATHY AND PHIL IN OAXACA

January-February 2018

Dear Friends and Family,

Here we are back in Yukuyoko after spending a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s with kids and

grandkids in New Mexico, great family get-together (we are more than 25 in the family now), wonderfulmusic and dancing (Phil is getting his headtogether)! The only ones missing were Erica and Carlosand family who are in Lesotho, Africa. We hope to see them in June.

Here in the village it has been an unusually cold winter. Down to freezing some nights and none of the houses are heated. With your donations we have been able to get new warm blankets for all the families of the village. They send their thanks for joining in this effort at addressing personal, if not global, warming. We are sleeping under 4 layers ourselves. One of our daughters-in-law gave me (Phil) a refrigerator magnet for my Dec. 23rd 76th birthday that said “Make America Mexico Again!” Of course, this is the great American fear that our leaders are using to Mixtec villagers are descendants of the Toltec/Anahuac civilization stimulate racism in the US, while they are quite successfully engaged in turning Mexico and the rest of the world into consumerist cultural deserts like the U.S., that benefit the super-wealthy, who one way or another won’t pay taxes on their new wealth (they say over 80% of new wealth generated in 2017 went to the already super-wealthy and none of it to the the lower economic 50%).

But there is another way that making America Mexico again makes a lot of sense. The underlying civilization that underpins what Mexico is at its most profound level calls itself the Anahuac. The Anahuac civilization is one of the 6 great independently developed civilizations on the planet with a 7,000 year-old history. Its profound insight into the human condition, as well as its great scientific achievements, were missed by the various nationalities of European invaders bent on grabbing land and finding gold, while making sure the Anahuacas believed in “our” Christian God.

The first European invaders were astounded by the architectural accomplishments of the cities of the Anahuac, some of which were 10 times more populous than Paris and the other largest European cities at the time. The scientific and astronomic understanding that still existed from the great classic period of Anahuac history under the Toltecs was so advanced that they had developed three precise calendars, one ritual, one agricultural, and one astronomical that meshed together every 52 years in accordance with the cycle of the Pleiades star group in relation to the earth. Their 365.25 day

sun calendar was so much more accurate than the Julian calendar, that Pope Gregory corrected the European calendar and gave his name to the Anahuac one, calling it the Gregorian calendar.

But it is the philosophical and social vision of the Anahuac that should give us pause at this critical point in the history of the human family. The Anahuacas believed in one God and Creator of the universe, the great Duality—feminine and masculine. And their understanding of the place of the human family in this creation was striking. They understood (3,000

years ago) that ultimately all of this creation is energy in its different forms, much as quantum physicists postulate today. The role of humans was to help to establish harmony among all these material and spiritual representations of that energy.

Profound metaphors were used to refer to the Divine and to spiritual realities. Three principle metaphors that the Toltec/Anahuac civilization used to represent this role were the “plumed serpent”, the “flowered battle” (Batalla Florida), and the “Quincunce”. The image of the feathered serpent - the snake, which was not a negative symbol in the Anahuac, represented the material world (luminous or visible energy), struggling to unite itself in harmony with the spiritual energy symbolized by the gorgeous Quetzal bird. The job of the human family and individual is to facilitate this union of matter and spirit. As indigenous writer Guillermo Marin explains in Historia verdadera del Mexico Profundo, while western civilization has concentrated its efforts on dominating, manipulating, and accumulating matter, the Anahuac civilization put its efforts into harmonizing the material with the spiritual, or drawing the spiritual out of the material. Accumulation of the material was never a value of the Anahuac. So, even though at times cacao seeds were used as a kind of medium of exchange, they could not be accumulated since they rotted in a few months. The “flowered battle” was the individual and collective struggle that the human person needed to undertake in order to achieve this union with the divine, or spiritual, aspect of the cosmos. The “quincunce” is a four- petaled flower symbol found in much of the ancient artwork uncovered at archaeological sites of the Anahuac region of Mesoamerica, including right here in our own pueblo of Tilantongo. The four petals represent the four cardinal directions, north, south, east and west, along with their respective characteristics. But the center of the flower has a vertical character and represents the human presence in the cosmos and our unique role in bringing all of creation represented in the four petals to a higher spiritual plane. (Spanish speakers can learn more at Marin’s website, www.toltecayotl.org.)

Little by little we have realized that this vocation of building and, where necessary, re-building harmony is “incarnated” or made practical in the social conventions of our village of Yukuyoko and the other indigenous villages of Oaxaca. The custom of “tequio”, or community service, and of “gueza”, or mutual aid, aim to create a sustainable, harmonious community. “Fiesta” celebrates that community in beauty and dance. The community assembly, or “asamblea”, assures harmonious, participatory decision-making with equal participation, and the love of and respect for the Mother Earth assures that this harmony is created not only among the human community, but with the rest of creation. Much of this vision that could save us from our current ecological, economic, and social crises probably existed at some point in our own occidental ancient history. Perhaps in this sense it would be a good idea to work toward “making America Mexico again”. Perhaps we could begin by inventing money that rots?!

P.S. the indigenous woman candidate for president of Mexico proposed by the Indigenous Council of Government and the National Indigenous Congress, Maria de Jesus Patricio Martinez “Marichuy”, is at campaign events not to try to take over political power, but to unite indigenous pueblos and Mexican workers around an agenda to replace a corrupt, violent political class, with local governments based on the indigenous valu esde abajo”, from the bottom up. There is always a hopeful side to our human family’s struggle to rise above egoism and greed.

We thank you for your letters, your prayers, and your donations, which continue to make this work possible. Our principle aim for these letters is to share our view from this little corner of the planet. But if you wish to contribute to this work, you can send a much appreciated tax-deductible donation to:

Instituto Paz en las Americas,

2645 Mountain View Rd. Silver City, NM 88061.

Peace and blessings,

Phil and Kathy

FEAST DAY IN YUCUYOCO, TILANTONGO, OAXACA

May-June, 2016

Life in an indigenous community has been an experience full of challenges, which include new ways of understanding life, and after nine years of being part of San Isidro Yucuyoco and the greater pueblo of Tilantongo, we  continue to be amazed at some of the aspects of life that are so basically different from the culture we grew up in. This year we had a chance to experience more aspects of this culture, as we were offered the opportunity to host the main meal of the first day of our village fiesta. When a family hosts the meals for the entire fiesta, they are the“mayordomos”. We were not really mayordomos, since it was only for one day, but it seems our village is really too small for a mayordomo, as there has never been one since we’ve been here. In all the various indigenous groups across southern Mexico (17 different language groups in the state of Oaxaca), the annual fiesta is an intrinsic part of the way of life of the pueblos. People work hard and make what would be considered up north a very meager living. 

But the annual fiesta continues to remain an essential part of life here. Every village has a saint’s name and an indigenous name, and the fiesta is celebrated annually on the day of the patron saint. It’s the time for an all-out celebration; fun and entertainment go hand in hand with a sacred duty to give thanks, offer boundless hospitality, and to recommit ourselves to being community for another year. The rather elaborate preparations are a time when all participate in whateverways they can, each trying to offer what they are able. There are also

formalities and honors. 

So on the opening evening of the fiesta —our day to host the dinner — the formal procession began, announced by initial fireworks, led by a band playing, a decorated float with little Uriel, our neighbor boy dressed up as San Isidro,

the “madrinas”, who are the women and girls dressed in colorful full skirts and embroidered blouses with baskets of flowers on their heads - dancing, followed by the

elected village officials, along with invited officials from other villages, and then by all the rest of the villagers, with visitors from Mexico City, (extended family members who have migrated out but always return for the fiesta weekend). Many other visitors from various villages had come from miles away, knowing that all are welcome. The procession arrived at our house, led by Juvenal, one of the elders as spokesman for this event. We met them, according to plan, accompanied by our chosen “representative” who

spoke for us. Juvenal greeted us formally and thanked us for receiving them and all the people; Juan, our representative, greeted them and gave them a formal welcome in our name. The first round of guests were seated

at the prepared outdoor tables, while others waited their turn, as the band played on. We had lots of helpers, preparing the food - having started at 5:00 A.M., and serving. A whole crew of teenagers and young men came in

the morning to help with decorating. Then all the helpers had sat down for an almuerzo (brunch). We figure we served close to 400 people during the day. When it was all over, the leftover food was given away, and amazingly, we had NO TRASH remaining — only the food scraps, which were all composted. After the meal, the procession formed again to lead the calenda, a procession both solemn and joyous, which made its way up the mountain road through the village, with band playing, giant puppets dancing, fireworks shooting off, and periodic pauses for more dancing. The fireworks and dancing lasted long into the morning hours. Then preparations to serve all comers for breakfast began at 5 a.m. 

When we look back on the experience of this integral part of indigenous communal life called “fiesta”, we are forced to wonder at a couple of things:

…..at the unique confluence of the sacred and the celebratory. Before the preparation of the food began at 5 in the morning on Friday, the cooks, the cajero responsible for watching over all the supplies and handing them out as needed, and we, gathered around the uncooked “fixings” and asked a blessing on the food, on all who might come, and that the food might be sufficient for the unpredictable numbers of the crowd. Such ritual acts continued through the night of the fiesta, interspersed with dancing and shouts of “viva!” The following morning after breakfast was the outdoor Mass, then the basketball tournament all day, and the following evening a dance. 

…. at the inverted “economic” values in the community. After the two women in charge of the cooking, from a neighboring village, had spent some 36 hours straight preparing food, cooking, washing pots, and cleaning up, they resolutely refused our efforts to pay them for the great effort and delicious food! “People would say we just did it for the money,” they insisted. In other words, we were living in a community where mutual aid and giving to one another was the predominant value. Money was not. 

The other day at the conclusion of a visit here to indigenous communities where we discussed the Transpacific Partnership trade agreement, a Canadian student expressed his disillusionment. “This all makes it sound pretty

hopeless,” he said with discouragement. “On the contrary,” I needed to say. “What we learn here in the traditional communities of indigenous peoples is that it is not true that people are by nature egoistical, greedy, and violent. The indigenous peoples of the world are telling us of the western world that the human family long ago learned how to live in harmony with one another and with our Mother Earth, with mutual aid, communal

values, love of the earth, and fiesta. So when those in charge of the western world try to defend their violence and greed by saying, “It’s just human nature”, we can now respond, “That’s a lie! For we have seen our human family living differently. We liked it. And that’s the kind of future we want for all of us.”

 Our principle aim for these letters is to share our view from this little corner of the earth. If you wish to contribute to this work, you can send a much-appreciated tax-deductible donation to:

Instituto Paz en las Americas, 2645 Mountain View Rd. Silver City, NM 88061.

Love and blessings,

Phil & Kathy (Mexico address: Apdo. 29, Nochixtlan, Oaxaca, 69600, Mexico,

kpdbmx@gmail.com)

Our campesino neighbor mused about the weather as we talked in front of the church before Holy Thursday mass. Wind storms and hard rain in February and March, the dry season! Who knows what is next? Yet, with the optimism that farmers must have before the hard work of the planting season, he concluded, “But it’s going to be a good year.”

As a precaution, more people are planting the drought resistant “cajete” corn that can survive 3 to 4 months of drought. Tio Juan and I (Phil) planted this corn first in his fields and then in ours last week. CEDICAM is starting a project funded by the Goldman Foundation to confront climate change by promoting the planting of this ancient corn, developing family seed banks, and working with academic partners to do careful seed selection to increase yields. As Juan and I worked our way across the fields, digging and planting with the ancient “coa”, I mentioned I was going to Washington DC in mid-April (Ecumenical Advocacy Days) to lobby against the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership (TPP), because of the negative effects of such trade agreements on our campesino communities.This made me remember….On January 1^st, 1994 we awoke to the flashing red light of  our phone message machine. It was our son, Chris, who had been traveling in Central America. “I’m caught in a guerilla war in southern Mexico”, he calmly announced, much to our astonishment. “But I’m fine. Happy New Year.” He had been there on the plaza of San Cristobal, Chiapas when the Zapatista Liberation Army of indigenous peoples had marched in that midnight. Local police and military personnel scattered in terror as the indigenous leaders announced that they were declaring war on the Mexican state on this, the day of the inauguration of NAFTA, because this trade agreement “meant the death of indigenous peoples.”

Their analysis was correct. Subsidized basic grains from the U.S imported at prices below the cost of production (it’s called “dumping”) destroyed livelihoods in the rural communities of indigenous peoples. Para-state industries and credit banks that supported small scale agriculture were closed, and agricultural assistance shifted primarily to the commercial agricultural sector. Indigenous communal lands protected since the 1917 Mexican constitution were opened to being bought, sold and used as collateral, initiating a return to concentration of lands in the hands of the few. Energy reforms demanded by the new international economy afforded government the right to expropriate indigenous lands in the name of foreign and domestic firms for mining and gas extraction.

As a result, six million campesinos were forced to leave their indigenous villages of Mexico and migrated to the U.S. between 1994 and 2010.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days will bring together some 1000 activists in DC from April 15-18 2016 to lobby against a trade agreement that would intensify these pressures on indigenous Mexican campesino communities, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. If approved, the TPP would eliminate all remaining tariff and non-tariff barriers to all agricultural products that Mexico produces and might import. The resulting price competition would virtually guarantee another migration crisis in the U.S., as more millions would be forced out of indigenous campesino communities of Mexico.

In addition, the TPP, which is really an agreement to protect corporate “rights” to their profits, would give corporations the right to sue governments over any attempts to give preference to local workers or businesses, or to legislate environmental protections, if these interfere with potential corporate profits. It will strengthen the hand of those that want to impose genetically modified crops on farmers and lengthen patent rights on such crops. The Institute for Trade and Agricultural Policy warns that the TPP tries to return to the 1991 International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants which increases plant patent rights, from now, at 5-10 years, to 20-25 years, and would prohibit the interchange of seeds by farmers.

While here in Mexico Pope Frances spoke with great urgency about our need to find a different way to live on this planet. What could he mean? Clearly, the agendas of the powerful, with their wars and trade agreements represent instead “business as usual”.

How about living an economy that is instead based on the values of our indigenous communities here? Here in Yukuyoko our economy is based on a low input agriculture using native seeds, ancient planting models, and locally produced fertilizer and equipment. (Produce local, use local inputs, and rediscover local talents and abilities, the great reskilling*, the Transition Town movement calls it). A commons is also an integral part of our economy. The forests are free for wood gathering and the communal hillsides for grazing sheep and goats. (Surely we can do more than have common parks and highways: cooperative gardens on public lands, cooperative businesses, community loan funds, and what else?)

Through a system of mutual aid (gueza) we plant our corn together, going from one house to another saving having to pay laborers, and we pay no taxes for the upkeep of the village since we do this through community work projects called tequios. Fiestas are an essential part of our economy and it is an honor to sponsor the music or food so that everyone, no matter how poor, can join in. (Perhaps fiesta is the way to get us away from the computer and the TV so we can think about these things together).

Wisely, our economy not only takes into consideration actual needs of our villagers and our community. At its base, it has a profound respect for what forms the basis of all economy, our Mother Earth, and for what this Mother means for generations to come. (How to recognize our Mother in the world around us and eschew the myth of the machine?)

Part of “the great reskilling" could be learning to use the sun.  I (Kathy) gave a solar cooking workshop last week for a group of women, men, and children from Vicente Guerrero, which is a partly shanty-town community located at the city dump outside Oaxaca.  This enthusiastic group, working through their progressive Catholic parish, has been studying holistic health, natural foods, use of medicinal herbs, ways to conserve water and energy and protect the environment.  They are highly motivated to learn solar cooking as a way to reduce wood smoke, help the environment through the use of clean energy, and save scant family resources.  There were exclamations of delight as we sampled steaming pots of rice, vegetables, eggs, potatoes, and pans of oatmeal cookies!  They were much interested also to learn an easy solar method to purify drinking water. The remarks showed an “almost too good to be true” response.  Yes, it really can be done!

We thank you so much for your messages, your prayers, and your donations, which help to keep making these projects possible.  If you wish to contribute to this work, you can send a much appreciated tax-deductible donation to:

Instituto Paz en las Americas, 2645 Mountain View Rd. Silver City, NM 88061.

We thank you very much, and we always love hearing from you.                                                         

Phil and Kathy

Oaxaca mailing address: Kathy and Phil Dahl-Bredine, Apdo 29, Nochixtlan, Oaxaca 69600, Mexico,

kpdbmx@gmail.com.

MILPA: From Seed to Salsa : Presenting the Book in the Mixteca Alta

MILPA: From Seed to Salsa : Presenting the Book in the Mixteca https://www.facebook.com/milpafromseedtosalsa/

Presenting the Book in the Mixteca Alta

Kathy and Phil-Dahl Bredine and myself delivered the finished book product to one of our most diligent families in our project in the Mixteca Alta. It was so rewarding, and a bit surprising, to see their reponse to the finished book. I was reminded that books are NOT that important in a culture where survival depends upon making sure there is food on the table, and where education of the older generation may not have taken place. I think Apolonio, the husband and father,  is able to read - many of the men are encouraged to go to grade school through 3rd or 4th grade - but the women of earlier times were not so lucky.

So here are Francisca and her husband Apolonio reacting to seeing her own kitchen on the cover of the book as well as to their lovely full-page portraits; Apolonio, who has a terrific milpa farm, and great sense of humor, had no idea what plant was embroidered on his hat, it was a gift....and we all had a good time with that one. They were all especially tickled to see their laundry hanging on the line on a double spread in the book (and grateful that we showed only their clean laundry, not their dirty laundry) ! Apolonio declared me Francisca's new 'comadre' and felt a new car was most appropriate for our new relationship....lots of laughs and a great cup of hot chocolate with Day of the Dead bread prepared by Francisca....such delightful, happy people.  Francisca and I ended up becoming 'comadres of chocolate,' a wonderful friendship!

I'm not sure how many times Francisca had seen a picture of herself, or seen such a big book, or  even knows how to read. It took her a second to recognize her own kitchen…she also has eye problems from years in her smoky kitchen. 

One of the goals of the book was to give the participants an increased sense of their own value, to the women especially, and to show them all how important their return to organics and sustainable agriculture is to everyone, both regionally and universally. I do believe the book will accomplish this as the days go by and more and more people see it.  

We are giving away about 100 copies of the book to all the participants, which will get shared and looked at - hopefully read - dozens of times per copy. CEDICAM has received 1/4 of all printed books to continue to spread the word or to use a fund raiser. 

Don Apolonio, Mixteca Non-GMO Farmer

Apolonio is a happy, contented man. He has raised a large family, he has a new block house with metal roof, a small modern kitchen with a gas stove, and a traditional adobe kitchen removed from the house due to the smoke engendered by burning wood as the fuel source....where the tortillas and tamales are made. He has an oxen or two for tilling and planting, and four successful children. One son has gone to 'el norte' to earn a living, as the land, until recently, did not support productive agriculture. His wife Francisca, daughter  Silvia, and daughter-in-law Rosa helped us immensely in gathering recipes and sharing cooking techniques for their simple, healthy recipes, created from their milpa gardens and companion plants of nopales and wild greens. Delicious....

Apolonio told us a saying  in Spanish, which our co-author  Phil Dahl-Bredine then translated into Spanish a similar English phrase, whose meaning is roughly: 'if you eat food, you are involved in agriculture!' How true. Yet most children in large urban cities in the United States have no idea where there vegetables come from, other than the store.

MILPA: From Seed to Salsa, September 2015

More Advance Praise for

MILPA: FROM SEED TO SALSA
Ancient Ingredients for a Sustainable Future

COMING SOON - late SEPTEMBER 2015  

Preorders  RECEIVE 10% DISCOUNT

Please send orders or questions to:

haden.judith(at)gmail.com

Early reviews:

Deborah Madison, Chef and Author,  James Beard Award Winner

 

@Francisco Toledo

Milpa: From Seed to Salsa is an extraordinary book in many ways. It is a hopeful book that shows in careful detail how extremely well the old ways of farming and living in community can not only feed rural populations but also provide them with medicine and fodder for animals.  This is a viable alternative to big agriculture and so-called improvements from elsewhere; this is a fine example. Milpa is also a remarkable book because, like the community of families that tends the milpa fields, this book is product of cooperation among some very extraordinary people—two activists, a chef, and a photographer, who all found a way to bring to light a story of hope with great wisdom and beauty, with the cooperation of the Mixtec community who live the life this book allows us to witness.  I am so grateful for this book. It is a treasure.

Stephen Scott, Heirloom Seedsman; Owner, Terroir Seeds, Underwood Gardens

Milpa: From Seed to Salsa is a gem, showing in a real and gentle way why a large diversity of agriculture and seeds are so desperately needed in today’s world. From the traditional methods of growing heirloom corn that out-produces the commercial varieties, to the ancient knowledge of growing Chile de Agua without much water in an arid climate—there is much to be learned from the techniques refined through centuries of use and the seeds that have been lovingly saved and selected for the best vigor in these uncertain times. This book is a studied look at how we can truly feed ourselves sustainably and deliciously.

Lila Downs, Four-time Grammy Award-Winning Recording Artist, Oaxaca

This wonderful book is a delightful voyage for the eyes, the spirit, and the taste buds. Through amazing recipes, photos, and narrative it takes the reader on a journey in time and reveals the relationship Mixtec with the sacred Mother Earth which has evolved over thousands of years. Using this wisdom, it points to a hopeful future rooted in diversity, balance and strength.

 Phil Borges, Photographer; Author of Enduring Spirit, Tibetan Portrait, The Gift , and Women Empowered

Milpa: From Seed to Salsa helps us to reawaken to the wisdom of eating seasonal locally grown organic foods, and of being grateful for all that went into making our food available to us. Most of us long for more simplicity, and more naturalness in our lives, combined with a sense of true community. Looking at these wonderful images of women in their basic kitchens, of men plowing fields with their oxen, and of people remembering to take the time to celebrate their abundant, healthy, harvest transports me back to the time I've spent in indigenous communities around the world. It's what keeps me going back year after year.

Peter Rosset, PhD, Food rights activist, Agroecologist and Rural Development Specialist; Author of  Food is Different  

Milpa: From Seed to Salsa gives us an inside look at a culture and a food system that complement each other in ways that are good for both people and for the Mother Earth. These Mixtec indigenous communities give us both "new and old" ideas as to what is possible for our modern world in crisis. 

Miguel Altieri, Professor of Agroecology at the University of California at Berkeley

Augustín, in his milpa

The Milpa campesina offers a promising ecological model as it promotes biodiversity, it prospers without agricultural chemicals while using little fossil fuel energy, and it sustains production throughout the year.

Iliana de la Vega, Executive Chef and Owner, El Naranjo Restaurant (Austin, Texas and formerly Oaxaca, Mexico), Culinary Institute of America

Milpa is a network of cultural meanings and ancient traditions, and its value lies in the complexity involved: as a method that provides a complete and balanced diet; as a symbol of union and community; and as a sustainable solution to the food crisis that we face in modern times. In Milpa: From Seed to Salsa, the elements of this Mesoamerican indigenous practice come to life in beautiful pictures and recipes stating that our corn is much more than an agricultural system. 

Advance Praise for MILPA: From Seed to Salsa

We are receiving terrific advance book previews...please take a few minutes and have a look ~

It was a real pleasure having Norma Schafer (author of the popular blog Oaxaca Cultural Navigator), in my home a couple of weeks ago, and she was able to get a sneak peek of our manuscript. Her view of our book is grounded in much personal experience in her now full-time home in Oaxaca. 

http://oaxacaculture.com/2015/07/book-preview-milpa-from-seed-to-salsa-oaxaca-food-recipes-sustainability/

And we recently caught up with Lila Downs and Paul Cohen in Seattle during their concert tour promoting their new album Balas y Chocolate. They took time out of their hectic schedules to read and then write an endorsement of our book for which we are so grateful and appreciative.

Judith Haden and Lila Downs

“This wonderful book is a delightful voyage for the eyes, the spirit, and the tastebuds. Through amazing recipes, photos, and narrative it takes the reader on a journey in time and reveals the sacred Mixtec relationship with the Mother Earth, which has evolved over thousands of years. Using this wisdom, it points to a hopeful future rooted in diversity, balance and strength.”

“Este maravilloso libro es un viaje hermoso para la vista, el espíritu, y el paladar. A través de increíbles recetas, fotos y narrativa lleva al lector a un viaje en el tiempo y revela la relación sagrada de los mixtecos con la Madre Tierra que ha evolucionado a lo largo de miles de años. El uso de esta sabiduría señala a un futuro de esperanza arraigada en la diversidad, equilibrio y fuerza.”

Lila Downs, Three-time Grammy Award-Winning Recording Artist and Composer    

For questions, please write to Judith Haden:  haden.judith(at)gmail.com